Farokhzad Layegh is an Iranian composer whose work connects Persian musical heritage with contemporary Western composition, literature and interdisciplinary performance.
Born: 1963, Shiraz
Based in: Iran
Profession: Composer / Interventional Cardiologist
Notable collaborations: Amsterdam Sinfonietta, ISH Dance Collective
Labels: Hermes Records, Quartertone Records
For interviews, press enquiries, programming, commissions and professional requests, please contact:
Farokhzad Layegh
layegh96@yahoo.com
Farokhzad Layegh
Composer · Interventional Cardiologist
Farokhzad Layegh (b. 1963, Shiraz) is an Iranian composer whose work brings Persian musical heritage into dialogue with contemporary Western composition, literature and interdisciplinary performance.
His music has been performed and presented internationally by ensembles including Amsterdam Sinfonietta, and his compositions have increasingly crossed the boundaries between concert music, film, literature, dance and visual performance. Alongside his work as a composer, Layegh is a senior interventional cardiologist.
“The Waste Land titillates the senses and provokes thought.”
De Nieuwe Muze —“A breathtaking journey.”
Het Parool —“An incredible fusion of strings, choreography and acrobatics.”
— TheaterkrantAmsterdam Sinfonietta describes Layegh’s Lexolalia Descenticum as the work that inspired The Waste Land and acts as a unifying musical thread throughout the production.
Amsterdam Sinfonietta — The Waste Land
The Hong Kong Arts Festival programme traces the production directly to Layegh’s 2021 composition, describing how his connection between Eliot and Shamlou developed into Lexolalia Descenticum and subsequently inspired The Waste Land.
Hong Kong Arts Festival — 2025 Programme
Selected International Highlights
2025 — The Waste Land
Amsterdam Sinfonietta × ISH Dance Collective
National tour, The Netherlands
15–16 March 2025 — Asian Premiere
The Waste Land
Hong Kong Arts Festival
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Amsterdam Sinfonietta
Performances of music from Sus-Septed Tempus and production of Sus-Septed Tempus V as a music film directed by Hans Pannecoucke.
London — Music Without Borders
Performance of Sus-Septed Tempus as part of INTERNAVA’s international programme.
Selected Works
Lexolalia Descenticum
2021 · Hermes Records
An eight-part work exploring language, fragmentation, alienation and renewal through the encounter of T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land with the poetry and voice of Ahmad Shamlou.
Sus-Septed Tempus
2012 · Hermes Records
A seven-movement cycle originally conceived for string quartet, later developed through international performances and arrangements for string orchestra.
The Book of Austerity
2007 · Quartertone Records
A meeting of contemporary Persian poetry and Persian classical musical traditions, featuring vocalist Shahram Nazeri.
Press & Media Enquiries
For interviews, press enquiries, programming, commissions and professional requests, please contact:
Farokhzad Layegh
Farokhzadl96@gmail.com